Ch-ch-ch-changes…Pt2

In January, as most know, I switched internships over from World Race to the Admissions Team.  This was something in the works for quite awhile, but basically there was some managment and organizational changes and this included World Race no longer needing an intern.                             

 

    So I started on with Admissions, which was kind of a weird transition at first, with some admitted hestinancy as most of my job entails making phone calls. Lets just say that working in a call center previously had left a less than desirable taste in my mouth for working on phones again.   I quickly learned that this was way more than making phone calls.  You see, one of the things I love most about AIM is that a key component of their ministry is discipelship.  Discipleship is something I value very much and that I would like to be involved with in the future.  What Admissions has allowed me to do is disciple people right over the phone.  After informing them of trips that we have available for them to go on over the summer, I get to call and follow up, which includes phone calls to pray with them, encourage them and generally check in with them in life.  It’s a form of discipleship.  What is even moreso exciting is when we have training camps.  These people, that the team and I have been talking to and walking through this time with, get to meet us and we get to meet them. It’s a really sweet time.  Discipleship, mentoring and things of that nature were big passions in my heart and I began to ask the Lord how He would have me use my leadership skills, that He was developing in me, and my gift of encouragement in my life. 

    For as long as I can remember I have had the desire to have my own buisness. Over the years that has shifted from my own practice to my own center into now my own organization.  A place for students to come and get counseling or mentoring services as well as for an outlet for expression. This has increasingly risen to the surface in me as I have been a part of AIM.  With graduate school being something that has always been a goal of mine, I decided that I would go full speed ahead,  dive in and apply.  My first choice: Wheaton College in IL. One of the top christian colleges in the US.  A pretty lofty goal but one that I perseveered through. Pushing through the process of applying and test taking I gave it to the Lord trusting that I would get in somewhere if God desired for me to continue on in education. I continued on in my search of applying to other schools in the country.

   A couple of weeks ago however, in the midst of my search, it happened.  I received my acceptance letter to Wheaton College. I will be attending in the fall as a part of their Christian Formation and Ministry program.  The program focuses on leadership and dicipelship development for those who want to eventually have their own ministries and organizations. So come the end of August I will be moving to Chicago! I am so excited for this new phase of my life. What is most exciting is that this is an open door completley from the Lord. You get so use to the waiting time that when you finally get a door it can almost be shocking. I heard the Lord say, “here is the door, walk through it!”

    So what does this mean in the meantime? Of course there is plenty of prep to take into consideration between money, housing, visting etc.  But I still have the next couple of months to think about, in the context of being with AIM. 

 Two weekends ago, AIM held leader training for those interested in leading an overseas missions trip this summer. I attended and what a blast we had.      

We did a lot of team builders to understand how we led, communicated and how we could do the same with our group out on the field. (Picture left: us in the picture  trying to get the raft to float)We also had time to spend with the Lord asking Him and seeking in His word what He sees in a leader and values in a leader.  This usually contrasted how we ourselves viewed leadership.   God tested me with the question of what lense have I been viewing myself through as a leader? My own, His or the world’s.  I realized that I was trying to live up to the pressure I put on myself though comparing myself to others, to perform a certain way, especially as a leader. God showed me in his word that things like: compassion, humilty and integrity are very important. Words like, loud, likeable and proud were not mentioned. I suddenly became comfortable in my own skin. Knowing that who I am as a leader is fine and He continues to ever refine and develop things in me from day to day.   So with the discipleship I have been going through and giving while here in Georgia, leadership and discernment from the Lord, I have decided to take the opportunity to lead a trip to Swaziland South Africa this summer. For 1 month I will co-lead along side a married couple.  We will have a team ages 18-22 and serve as leaders to them. This will be a great opportunity for God to challenge me into new areas of leadership, be empowered by a wise and experienced christian couple and to love on the people of Swazi. I will also get to see and lead these students we have been working with through this process of them preparing for the trip. am excited to share more about Swaziland in the coming blogs. What I ask of you in this time is your prayers. There is alot to do in the next few months between preparing emotionally as well as spirtually and also financially.

 

Financially speaking I have not completed my Community Life goal.  I am still in need of $700.  I also am going to have to raise $2500 for my trip to Swaziland. It can seem daunting to think about having to do all of this in what seems a short amount of time but I know that God is faithful and He will see it through. I do ask that you please consider how you could be a part of partnering with me in this ministry and kingdom work!

 

You can:

I look foward to sharing more of what is going on in the coming weeks and leading up to the trip and move! Thanks for your support!